Kito Kari

The Great White Hunt

Kito Kari is a tradition that began somewhere around two hundred years prior to the current day. A man, at great expense and danger to himself, will announce a Kito Kari, traveling to Korianto in Aquilo, north of Na Boon. There he will spend the winter months preparing for the hunt in spring. The prey? The white Dragons native to the continent. Few survive to meet a dragon. Fewer still survive the dragon. Word spread quickly of the warrior that does bring down a such a prize. Honor and accolade follow them for life. It can elevate a lesser family to national status and power. For this reason it is often the politically minor samurai families that try for such a suicide hunt. The odds completely against them, but the reward beyond its weight in gold.

The hunt isn’t only about prestige, however. The dragon's meat it a delicacy in Na Boon, and its organs used in alchemy. Most ’native’ Korianto citizens are trained in butchering a carcass in a way to preserve every piece. Often acting as guides on the surface for the hunt. These guides accepting some dragon bones as payment. The greatest prize of these hunts a dragon large enough to provide scales to use in creating a suit of armor. A samurai sporting such a suit is feared and honored by all in the island. Battles are often won by his simple act of choosing a side to support, with the other conceding before a battle is fought. These men gaining the audience of the emperor.

Note: This armor cannot be passed down to the next generation. It is considered a great offence and dishonor if the hunter is not buried in his armor. A family can loss everything, even their lives, if this tradition is not honored.